Monthly Archives: June 2013

Taking a big cut. The Brewers came out swinging and took the Babe Ruth Tournament title last week with an 8-7 win over the Braves in the title game.

The 2013 season for Sparta Babe Ruth wrapped up last week with the conclusion of their season ending tournament.
The Brewers defeated the Braves 8-7 in the tournament championship game after the Braves were the regular season champs.
Now that the regular season is in the books, two all star teams will represent Sparta in postseason play. There will be a 15 and under team as well as a 13 and under squad. Both will start their tournaments July … Read More

Headed for the Nationals. The Tennessee Shooting Stars 70+ women’s three on three basketball team is headed back to the Senior National Games. The games will be held in Cleveland, Ohio this year. Doyle’s Sylvia Smith is one of the team members. The team is pictured above after winning a tournament in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The team is (l to r): Coach pat Murphy, Mary Kelley, Sylvia Smith, Helen Armstrong, Peggy Ballard, Carolyn Landreth, Glenda Cantrell, Madge Susong, and Coach Glenn Ballard.

Since she began playing in the senior games, Sylvia Smith has started a collection of medals and that collection is starting to grow.
During July, Smith … Read More

Another homerun celebration. The members of the 8 and under Sparta All Star tam jubilantly meet Garrett Johnson at home plate after the first of his two homeruns during Friday’s games at the tournament in Algood. The team is playing in Lebanon this week.

Sparta’s 8 and under All Star coach’s pitch team has been very busy of late.
After finishing up play this past week in a tournament in Algood where they finished third, they are now beginning play in their official Little League All Star tournament in Lebanon.
Pool play got underway Saturday night. The opening game was an offensive slugfest, but Sparta came up on … Read More

Charlene Bryant, 76, of Crossville, passed away June 28, 2013.
Ms. Bryant was born April 2, 2013, in White County, the daughter of Byrd and Ida Mae Howard) Bryant.
She was a member of the DeRossett Church of Christ.
Ms. Bryant was preceded in death by her parents; two infant sisters; two brothers, Robert Haskell Bryant, Charles Doode Bryant; and one sister, Verna Mae Woods.
Survivors include: four sisters, Pearl Brock (Harold), of Sparta, Marie Rollins (Glenn), of Sparta, Linda Roberts (Jerry), of Sparta, Brenda Brock (Donnie), of Sparta; three brothers, John Bryant (Sally), of Sparta, Eli Bryant (Betty), of Sparta, Bill Bryant (Glenda), of Sparta; two sisters-in-law, … Read More

Mary Rachel Weaver, 89 of Madison Heights, Mich., passed away June 24, 2013, in Warren, Mich.
Mrs. Weaver was born May 13, 1924, in Sparta.
She was the beloved wife of the late Lewis Clifford Weaver, and sister of the late Quill Briggs, James Briggs, Johnny Briggs, Ailene Rozzelle and Viola Horton.
Survivors include her daughter, Patricia Blake and husband William T.; grandchild, Eia Blake; sister, Elizabeth Briggs; and brothers, Walter Briggs and Charles Briggs.
A memorial service will be 7 p.m., June 28, 2013, at Hunter Funeral Home. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., June 28, at the funeral home.

Dwight Phillips, 68, of Cookeville passed away June 26, 2013, at Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
Mr. Phillips was born Feb. 11, 1945, in Overton County, to Dallas and Christine Looper Phillips.
Mr. Phillips was a Christian and of the Baptist faith.
He owned and operated Precision Molding Co., in Sparta, 1987-1998. He was a loving husband and a caring father and grandfather. He was an avid outdoorsman and a fixer of all things.
Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Patsy McCloud Phillips, of Cookeville; two sons, Daryl Phillips and wife Myra, of Sparta, Mike Phillips and wife Lisa, of Cookeville; brother, Douglas Phillips, of Crossville; four sisters, … Read More

Wilma Sue Oaks, 81, formerly of Sparta, passed away June 28, 2013, in Knoxville.
She was of the Baptist faith.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Norman Pleas Oaks and Nina Lee Frazier Oaks.
Survivors include survived by brother and sister-in-law, Jackie and Emma Lou Oake, of Steger, Ill.; sisters and brothers-in-law, Kyle and Carmie Hull, of Tullahoma, Albert and Nina Owen, of Knoxville; nieces: Cammy Kromer, Sherry Micallef; nephews, Tyson Owen, Mike Hull, Jeff Hull, Jackie Oakes; and companion of 37 years, Ronnie Young, of Sparta.
The family will receive friends12:30-1:30 p.m. (EST) June 30, 2013, at Rose Mortuary Broadway Chapel, in Knoxville, with funeral … Read More

Wrestling superstars Kevin Nash, Scott Hall (Razor Ramon), and Superstar Bill Dundee are just a sampling of big-name wrestling stars coming to the White County Fairgrounds this summer.
On Aug. 3, beginning at 7:15, the White County Agricultural Complex will host the area’s inaugural Summer Heat wrestling event.
Mark Houchin and Kenneth England are behind bringing the event to Sparta.
“We want to bring this to small towns — to make it affordable for everybody to meet and be around some of the biggest names in wrestling and Hollywood,” Houchin said.
“This is the first time anything this large has came to Sparta and White County,” he added. … Read More

An anonymous tip concerning a drug-related text message has lead to the arrest of a Sparta woman for several alleged drug charges.
According to Detective Joey Williams, on June 21, he received a call from the Cookeville Police Department concerning a female who reported to them that she had received drug-related text messages from a Sparta woman.
The texts allegedly offered a box of pseudoephedrine for trade in exchange for drugs.
Data from the text conversation led Det. Williams to the location of the suspect and the vehicle she was driving.
Det. Williams set up a sting operation behind the Shell gas station on Taft … Read More

Green Machine. The 8 and under Coaches Pitch All Star team is getting ready for their big tournament next week by playing in a couple of other tournaments over the last few days. They are currently playing in Algood after finishing third in Livingston over the weekend. Members of the team are (in no particular order): Owen Adams, John Baker, Layne Brown, Logan Brown, Bray Frasier, Seth Greene, Garrett Johnson, Paul Keller, Daylon Moore, Austin Parker, Tripp Pinion, Jacob Smith, Noah Vinson and Jayden Walling. They will be playing next week in Lebanon.

The youngest of the Sparta All Star teams is busy fine-tuning their game for their … Read More

When Dakota Robinson, of Spencer, reportedly waved a bag of alleged synthetic drugs in front of his buddy while stopped at a red light on Bockman Way, he didn’t realize that his friend wasn’t the only one watching.
In the car stopped beside him sat an officer with White County Sheriff Department who saw it all and has placed Robinson under arrest.
Det. Craig Capps says that after he witnessed the exchange between Robinson and his passenger, he conducted a traffic stop and asked Robinson for the bag of alleged synthetic drugs.
Robinson reportedly pulled the bag out from between his legs and handed it to Det. Capps.… Read More

recognition. Tennessee Highway Patrol Lt. Kendall Riley, of White County, recently received his 30-year plaque at the THP office in Cookeville. Riley currently resides in Sparta and is the Administrative Lt. for the Cookeville District. He is responsible for the daily operations of the district office and the administrative functions necessary to perform them. Captain R.C. Christian, also of White County, states, “Kendall serves in an exemplary manner. I am fortunate to have a man of his caliber in the office.”

Runner-up in the state. The Tennessee Sweethearts, of which Amy Rice (far left) was a member, finished second in the Sr. Olympic volleyball state tournament. (Photo submitted)

Not one or even two back surgeries could keep Amy Rice from playing a sport she has always loved.
Earlier this week, just a couple of months after turning 50, Rice played with the Tennessee Sweethearts in the Tennessee Sr. Olympics volleyball state tournament and finished runner-up.
Rice, a 1981 graduate of WCHS, was a multisport athlete during her playing days in high school playing volleyball along with basketball and tennis. She also played softball even though the high school team … Read More